Spring tension device for ribboners



Aug. 23, 1932. E. E. sown-:Rs

SPRING TENSION DEVICE FOR RIBBONERS Filed May 3, 1930 3 Sheei$-$heet lmun Aug. 23, 1932. E. B. soMERs SPRING TENSION DEVICE FOR RIBBONERSFiled May 5, 1930 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Aug. 23, 1932. E. B. soMERs 1,873,063

SPRING TENSION DEVICE FOR RIBBONERS Filed May s, 1930 's sheets-sheet 3Patented Aug. V23, 1932 i' f UNITED STATES; PATENT oFFICE-flff-k iELWARD B. soMnRs, on DARBYfrnNNsYLVANIA sRING TENSION DEVIE Foia-RiBBoNnns Application led May 3, 1920.V Serial No. 449,428.

'Myinvention relates to reeling mechanism for winding typewriter ribbonsfrom Vribbon supply rolls on to the ribbon spools of typewriters and tothe said larger rolls, the case` 4 5 being a continuation in part of mycopending application, Ser. No. 264,019, now PatentNo. 1,757,147entitled Ribboner.

One purpose of my invention is to secure y resilient frictionalretardation for a supply 1o roll of mechanism of the character indicatedwith an adaptation to adjust the mechanism to operate upon differentwidths of ribbon.

A further purpose is to provide a desirable I y form of pivot and spoolmount for a supply roll for mechanism of the character indicated, thepivot mounted on the machine being adapted to receive interchangeablyspools yof different supply rolls and having characterism v ticsadapting it to easy windingand rewind- A'20 ing.

A further purpose is to provide the spool of a ribbon supply roll with adesirable form of spring clamp connection With the inner end of theribbon of the roll.

A further purpose is to provide a spool for a supply roll of thecharacter indicated with a circular recess inwardly from one end and alongitudinal axial keyway beyond the recess. Y

Further purposes will appear in the specification and'in the claims.

I have elected to illustrate my invention in one only of its differentforms showing however a form that is practical and efficient inoperation and which well illustrates the principles involved.

Figure l is a longitudinal section corresponding to the line 1 1 ofFigure 2 illustrating mechanism in general accord with that disclosed inmy above application and provided with features embodying my presentinvention.

Figure 2 is a section of Figure 1 taken upon the line 2 2 thereof. Y

Figure 3 is a fragment of Figure 2.

Figure 4 is an end elevation of a detaih Figure is a side view ofthestructure shown in Figure 4 but without a ribbon shown in Figure 4. Y oFigures 6 and `7 are end views of details ure4.V Y

Figure 8 -is a section taken upon the line 8 8 of Figure'4.

Figures 9 and spectivelyvof Vfront and rear ldetails ofthe roll casing.Y

Y Figures 11 and 12 are side and rear eleva tions, in part section, of aWinder. f In the drawingssimilar numerals indicate like parts. Y

My winding mechanismfis conveniently mounted upon anysuitablevframewhich is hereshown as comprising a base plate 10, hollowto hold part of the mechanism, and atop or cover 11, 11V made inl twoparts rfor con-A venience of access. fr The reeling mechanism is mostconvenientcorresponding to separate portionsof Figly attached to arigidlyV supported part of the case, with measuring,mechanisnimostconveniently supported from` the base,ibut these relations are notessential. Y

As shown I attachV the'ribbon rollsupport to the member 11 by a bracket12. VThe support itself is in the form of a preferably Sta- '25 tonarybacking orj braking'member. landl a projecting key jpivot 14 aboutwhich-the rol115 is adapted to turn'as the: ribbon 16 of the roll isdrawn from it by rotation of the spool17.V f

' The ribbon roll 15-will of course be of dif-1 ferent widths accordingto the width ofthe ribbon used 'upon the typewriter which itisintendedtof fit,1but all of these widths'may be accommodated in themechanism shown. In order to apply pressure to the sides of the roll soas to give the desired friction against unwinding I loosely spring'clampthe roll between the surface `of the braking member 13 andthe surface ofa second braking membercover 18. The cover protects additionally againstsoiling of the ribbon at the same 'time that it performs the clamping orbraking function. f :l It is quite desirable that the braking be oresilientv and that it be `adaptable toribbons of dierent widths. These`aims are secured by radially perforating the inwardly turned Icircumferential portion Vof the cover' 18 at` severalfp'oints aboutlitscircumference as atrlc 10 Vare perspective 4views re-L 55 19, 19', 192in such a way that it may engage fingers 2Ov at different distances inan axial direction from the transverse circular body of the coveraccording to the angular position of the cover with respect to thefingers.

The lingers 20 are resilient in a direction transverse to the brakingsurfaces and are 'located at the freie ends of springs 21 whose innerends are rigidly fastened to the plate by l 1 jany suitable Vmeans suchas by strips 22.

The springs21 diverge from the plat-'eat their Vouterv ends to give therequired resil; ience betweenrthe fingers and any suitable recess faces23 on the cover. y

To provide for variation of the set distanoe between thetwo brakingsurfaces I therefore utilize a series of stepped faces 23,

' 23'-, 232 and 2433 for engagement with the ends of the spring fingers2O so that thevpressure 1 of engagement is variedby' the extent towhich` thel cover 18' is turned after engage-V be clockwise as showninfIigure 1 and counn terclockwise as shown in Figure 9.

In addition to the openings `leading tothe stepped surfaces 23,23K,etc.` the cover is cut e at25 throughout a space large enoughtoprovide for outward passage of the ribbon 16 from the roll in any of thepositions to which.'

the cover'has been turned'.

As the ribbon passes out fromthe support-V ing-mechanism it passes abouta drum26, supported to rotate upon` or about a stuby shaft`27 It thenpasses between a vcurved guide 28 and: a 'guard 281 and thence Vintoengagement withv the spool 1x7 upon which-it is `being wound.` The drumis interposed forzthe purpose of providing a measure and indicator or'alarm so as to permit preliminaryfsetting of the length of ribbon whichis being woundI from the roll and upon the' ribbon spool. n I

y One important feature of' my. invention is Y directed to the pivot andspool mount for the large supply roll 15. Thek pivot pin. member 111Lcomprises an eared pin that is cen-V trally fastened to the stationaryfriction plate 13 projecting horizontally toward the recessedcooperating friction plate 1,8.`

I showthe pin 14 having a threaded shank through the plate 13 andbracket 12, ak nut holding the pivot to place. e

Y I provide the pivot 14 with ears-29 at the 'outer' end. and prefery tohave. these Vears at an angle to the` radius of the spool member 30which is provided with anaxial': keyway 31 to pass the ears and with acentrali cir- Hthe outside of the spool.

cular recess 32 inwardly from its outer end to permit rotation of thespool with respect to the pivot, with the ears in the recess and the endof the pivot not extending beyond The spool has a length preferablygreat` enough to enclose the pivot 14 forits full extension from,v theplate 13, a length desirablyequal to butnot greater than the width ofthe most narrow commercial ribbon with which the" winderis 'likely to beused.V

' I provide the'different widths of commercial ribbon with differentspools making the Y lengths ofthe spools variant to correspond with thevariant widths of ribbon. I prefer to. maintain the axialkeywayr31 ofthesame dimension for all spools, with variant depths however t'o thecircular' recess 32, l thereby adapting all the spools tointerchangeablyV pivot on the member '14;

During unwinding-the oppositesides of kthe supply roll are resilientlypressed be? tween the plates 13 and 18 to effect a resilient braking ofthe roll. l This resilient pressure I find very advantageous in that itprevents undue movement of the'spool except-incident to the pull uponthe ribbon when it is being wound uponthe typewriter spool 17. l Y f v 5I inwardly recess the outside of the spool 30v at 33- to receive acurved7 spring- 34, the recess and' spring extending more-than half'wayar'ound the spool circumferenceand the spring being used to holdtheinner end of the ribbon to the spool. Y f This spring holdbetween ltheAspool and the vinnerend of the ribbon I find particu-l larly. convenientin that it holds the ribbon end to the spool for easy vwinding-y butVlets go automatically whenjthe last of the ribbon unwinds from thesupply spool 30.-.

The keyway perforation through thespool. permits the yspool to bemounted upona noncircular shaft for winding and subsequentlyl permits itto be used for easy unwinding.

My Winder, as illustrated in Figures 11 and 12, includes a shaft35,'having journal support at 36, carrying a winding crank handle- 37 onone side of the journal, and on they other side thereof carrying a discor flange 38, a short cylindrical portion 39, fitting inside thel recessof the spool and an, axial key .40 Y

fitting` the keyway 26 of the spool.;

Additionalk features ofthe winder are not shown'inthat theys-formno partof the present invention.V f I i I secure theneeded braking of thesupply roll: by resilientpressure betweenthe plate members 13 and 18,springs 20fcarried1by the platey 13 passing through the stepped openingsin the'. outside circumferential portion of'the'member 18 to press thememberaxially 'inwardy upon theisupply roll'.

I find it desirable to make the engagement betweenthe plate 18 and; thesupp1y ',101ltake vfg.

place chiefly or wholly at or near the outside turns of the unwindingroll and may accomplish this by inwardly dishing the roll as indicatedat 41, Figure 2, or by outwardly dishing the plate 18 as indicated at 42Figure 3.

In the one case the frictional engagement is between the outside turnsof the supply roll and the inwardly directed face of the plate 18 on oneside and on the other side is between the inner end of the spool and theplate 13, with or without an engagement of Y the inner edges of theinner turns of the ribbon with the plate 13.

I find both forms satisfactory and optionally may use either.

In view of my invention and disclosure variations and modifications tomeet individual whim or particular need will doubtless become evident toothers skilled` in the art, to obtain all or part of the benefits of myinvention withoutV copying the structurev shown, and I, therefore, claimall such in so far as they fall within the reasonable spirit and scopeof my invention.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire tosecure by Letters Patent is l. In mechanism for rewinding ribbon from aroll, a pin about which the ribbon roll is mounted, a brake againstwhich one side of the ribbon roll is adapted to bear, spring fingersprojecting beyond the brake and a cover for the ribbon roll adapted toengage the iingers to hold the cover in friction contact with the otherside'of the roll.

2. In mechanism for rewinding ribbon from a roll, a pin about which theribbon roll is mounted, a brake against which one side of the ribbonroll is adapted to bear, spring fingers projecting beyondthe brake and acover for the ribbon roll having stepped contacts engaging the ngers tolock with them in frictional engagement with rolls of different ribbonwidth.

ing stepped engaging faces to utilize the spring of the fngerstoresiliently engagerib-` bon -rolls of different ribbon thickness.

6. A pivot and spool mount for a supply roll of mechanism of thecharacter indicated, the pivot having a stationary support on themechanism and extending to support the spool, the extension including agenerally cylindricalportion and lateral ears at the end thereof and thespool having an axial circular recess from one end inwardly and a keywayaxial perforation adapted to pass the ears ofl the pivot into the recessfromthe other end of theI spool, the spool'being adapted to turn uponthe cylindrical portion while the ears thereof are within the recess.

7 pivot member for a spool of a ribbon supply roll including a support,a projecting pin, laterally extending ears at the projecting end of thepin, and a spool having an axial keyway adapted to pass the pin and earsand having a circular-recess beyond the circular portion of the pin andof radius suiiicient t0 clear the outside of the ears to permit rotationof the spool with respect to the pin.

ELWARD `B. SOMERS. 95

3. In mechanism for rewinding ribbon bon is adapted to bear at one side,spring Y fingers projecting beyond the brake and a cover for the rollnotched to en `age the ngers to utilize the spring of the ngers inresilient pressure of the cover against the rolls.

5. In mechanism for rewinding ribbon Y from a roll, a pin about whichthe ribbon roll is mounted, a brake against which the ribbon

